I want to be really honest with you…. I am in a funk. A funk where I do not want to track calories and for sure do not want to track macros. If you know me very well, you know that I am pretty diligent about tracking macros. Honestly, it is pretty fun for me to create meals based on the amount of protein, carbs and fats I have left in the day.

We are currently remodeling our kitchen so we are 100% without a kitchen. No stove. Zero refrigerator. No sink. We did borrow a microwave, which is quite handy! [Read more…]

Mel’s Clean Eating Meals are all about getting a variety of clean eating foods in my diet, but I also don’t want my meals to be boring. There is a great balance of healthy foods prepared in the right way that can keep you from feeling like you are eating plain chicken and plain broccoli.

Don’t get me wrong, I love chicken and broccoli, but if I ate it once or twice a day every day then I would get bored and end up snacking on more interesting foods! Here are some of the meals that I prepare using clean eating foods that can help you with your healthy lifestyle. Every single meal won’t work for you because we all have different taste preferences, availability of cooking and availability of eating. I have a desk job, so it is easy for me to have a daily eating routine. Use the ideas from the meals that stick out to you that you think would be easy enough to handle. [Read more…]

Mel’s Clean Eating Meals show you that easy, yet healthy meals throughout the day can be possible. I try to eat clean foods most the time with a few indulgences once in a while. Most weeks I try to prepare meals ahead of time so that I can eat healthy each weekday. As I prepare food for my meals, I’ll prepare extra in order to make quick breakfast and dinners.

The 12 Week Meal Prep Series this week focuses on whole grains. I had oatmeal for breakfast and then had quinoa for dinner. During meal prep this week I made a cilantro-lime quinoa salad to use to throw together quick, healthy dinners which is exactly what I did this particular day! Read on to see what other clean eating meals I prepared. [Read more…]

The Meal Prep Series this week focuses on vegetables. I happen to love vegetables and don’t mind incorporating them throughout the day. If you struggle with how to incorporate vegetables into your diet, then check out today’s Mel’s Clean Eating Meals. I tried to add them into several clean eating meals throughout the day to show you how easy it is to add them in when they are already cooked!

If you haven’t read through Meal Prep Series – Week 2: Prepare Vegetables then check it out now. If you have questions about how I prepared some of these foods (such as meatballs and hamburgers, then check out yesterday’s Grocery Shopping & Meal Prep Ideas Week 35 post. [Read more…]

Normally I document Mel’s Clean Eating Meals on a weekday that I am at work. I am very much a routine girl, so I eat around the same times each day.

However, this week I decided to document a day that I was off of work (we had Monday off to celebrate the New Year). Not only that, but this was a random day of eating. I was busy pretty much all day long working around the house so my meals were quick and simple.

Clean eating meals don’t have to be crazy or involve weird foods. I throw together quick, yet healthy meals to get me through the day. [Read more…]

Clean eating meals can be few and far between during the holiday season! It helps that I prepare all my meals at once to keep me from eating out for lunch or grabbing take-out on the way home from work. I’ve still been trying to eat as many healthy meals as I can, but there have been plenty of indulgences the last few weeks.

Mel’s Clean Eating Meals are designed to show you what healthy, nutrient-dense meals look like throughout the day. I don’t make any weird recipes or eat crazy, off-the-wall foods. Simple, whole ingredients are used for most of the clean eating meals that I consume and they don’t take hours and hours to prepare. [Read more…]

Vacation and getting delayed coming home threw off my clean eating meal schedule for this week. I made it work, but it definitely didn’t go as planned. Plus, forgetting my afternoon snack in the freezer didn’t help either!

This was not my favorite way to get back to clean eating meals after vacation, but it was fine. I didn’t have very many vegetables throughout the day, but I managed to hit my goals regardless. I typically like to have more food throughout the day and not quite as big of a meal at dinner, however life doesn’t always go as planned. Luckily, I keep plenty of healthy snacks with me for times like this. [Read more…]

Clean eating meals do not have to be super intense to make. I am no chef, so I stick to basic meals of meat and vegetables. I’ll throw in some complex carbs occasionally including oatmeal, whole wheat bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc.  I try to keep all of my meals clean eating friendly using minimally processed foods.

Even though I aim for less processed foods, sometimes I need quick, grab-and-go foods to take with me. Lately I’ve been busy at work (including weekends) and I am not in the office as much in the afternoons. I don’t want to skip a snack/meal in the afternoon so I’ve been packing Quest bars to get me through until dinner. [Read more…]

The holidays are a really busy time for us at work. I didn’t do too much food prep this week, but I still managed to eat healthy meals throughout the day. I hope posting Mel’s Meals gives you a few idea for simple, healthy meals to incorporate into your diet.

If you have any questions about Mel’s Meals then please email me at eatliftplayrepeat@gmail.com. Don’t forget to check out yesterday’s Grocery Shopping & Meal Prep Week 30 post. [Read more…]

Day in the Life: Mel’s Meals is a weekly post to show you the simple, clean eating meals that I make throughout the week. I try to break my day into five different meals and rarely go more than 4 hours without eating. A 5-meal day works for me in terms of my schedule and appetite, but play around with your day and see what works for you. It might be three bigger meals and a snack or just simple three bigger meals per day.

My meals are generally smaller, consisting of 250-350 calories each. I try to get at least 30g of protein with each meal and like to spread my carbs throughout the day a little, but I like to eat the majority of them in the morning and at night. I prefer this timing because I workout first thing in the morning, so I like to have the carbs at night to use the next morning and then replenish with carbs after the workout. My schedule works for me, but it won’t work for everyone. Play around with your eating – it has taken me a few years to figure out that this is my favorite schedule. [Read more…]